Welcome back, returning candidates

The returning candidate application must be completed by students who:

• Had applied for a scholarship previously as new scholarship applicants and were declined, or;
• Those who are previous scholarship award recipients
• Are current scholarship award recipients.

Application Period: January 31, 2022 to March 22, 2022

Application Deadline: March 22, 2022

Scholarship Recipients Notified: By May 5, 2022

Scholarship Funds Issued: By August 22, 2022

1. The award is valued up to $2,500 in local currency per academic year.
2. The scholarship may be awarded for up to three additional years for qualified applicants. 
3. The scholarships will be applied to tuition only for undergraduate study at accredited, non-profit two or four-year colleges/universities or vocational/technical schools in Canada and US.
4. Students are awarded one award per academic year.
5. The award must be used for the academic year it was awarded, unless winners submit a formal request to have the award deferred.
6. Recipients may transfer from one eligible post-secondary institution to another and retain the award so long as they have proof of transcript from their current institution.
7. If recipients have other scholarships or subsidies which cover portions of tuition costs, Foresters will provide a scholarship which will amount to the lesser of:

1. $2,500 (local currency) or
2. The recipient’s remaining tuition requirements for that given academic year.

Applicant must complete an online returning candidate application form during the Application Period and continue to meet the eligibility requirements as outlined below:

Part A

Meet ONE of the following criteria:

1. Foresters member who is insured under:
   • A full paid-up in-force certificate; or
   • An in-force annuity; or
   • A rider under any of the certificates listed above; or
   • Have an in-force Foresters Social Fraternal Membership
2. The spouse of an eligible Foresters member as defined above
3. Dependent child or grandchild of an eligible Foresters member as defined above.

a. Includes children under the care of a legal guardian who is an eligible Foresters member as defined above

Part B

Meet ALL the criteria:

1. Applicants must be of the age 24 years or under at the time of the application through to the time payment is issued
2. Applicants must be enrolled in full time studies in the academic year they are applying as a returning candidate
3. Applicants must be enrolled full time in the Fall semester
4. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or 75%. This must be reflected on your current transcript
5. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 50 hours of community service within 12 months of the returning candidate application deadline².

Overall weighting of the application components:

• Community Service: 65%
• Grades: 35%

Based on the number of applicants who apply each year, the competition for these scholarships is high. The minimum requirements for community service hours and grades are items all students need in order to just be considered for a scholarship. Meeting or exceeding these requirements does not mean or guarantee that you will be chosen as a Scholarship recipient.

Volunteer/Community Service

All applicants must have performed a minimum of 50 hours of community service³ within the 12 months (April 1, 2021 – March 22, 2022) leading up to the returning candidate application deadline.

Preference will be given to applicants who have:

• Been involved in volunteer activities that support family well-being, including playgrounds/public space cleanup, children’s health/wellness and other projects connected to family togetherness.
• Held leadership roles in their community service.

Competitive Scholarship encourages students to support a wide range of community activities and types of projects and programs. While each application will be evaluated holistically on its own merits, Competitive Scholarship will not accept partisan, political or direct religious volunteer/ community service activities.

For the 2022/2023 scholarship academic year, Foresters will grant new applicants and returning candidate applicants a temporary exception to meet a minimum of 25% of the required hours (please see the COVID-19 exception section for more information).

Minimum Grades

All eligible applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or 75% in their last academic year of study before the year in which they will receive the award. Applicants will be ranked/scored based on their level of performance above and beyond the minimum GPA of 3.0 or 75%.

Foresters is mindful of the continued challenges students face due to COVID-19, including the difficulties in earning their full community services hours. For the 2022/2023 scholarship academic year, Foresters will grant a temporary exception for returning candidate applicants to meet a minimum of 25% of the required hours for scholarship awards:

We will continue to monitor the feasibility of safe community service hours. We encourage our applicants to explore virtual volunteer options or activities with proper safety and social distancing measures that align with the regulations imposed by their local government.

The following restrictions apply to the scholarship award:

1. Applicants whose applications have been declined are able to apply for a Competitive Scholarship up to three times by completing the returning candidate application until such time as the recipient’s first post-secondary degree or equivalent is earned at which point the applicants will no longer be eligible for a Competitive Scholarship.
2. The scholarship is applicable only to the first post-secondary degree or diploma sought by the recipient.
3. The scholarship will terminate at the end of any academic year in which the Foresters member, whether the scholarship recipient or the sponsoring member, ceases to be a member of Foresters.
4. The scholarship is applicable only to the first post-secondary degree or diploma sought by the recipient.
5. Membership status and eligibility is verified at different stages of the application period and throughout the year.
6. Recipients of Orphan Scholarships are not also eligible to receive the Competitive Scholarship.

Current scholarship award recipients will receive an email from ISTS with detailed instructions on how to reapply as returning candidates for the scholarship close to the Spring application period.

Foresters and International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS are not responsible for information that is late, unsuccessfully submitted or inaccurately completed).

If you have any questions about the Returning Candidate application, please contact ISTS at 866-258-0626 or foresters@applyists.com.